By Vishani Ragobeer
The regional authorities in Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice) have started to zero in on flood clean-up activities and drainage works so that rainfall in the short term would not result in severe flooding again, according to Regional Chairman, Deron Adams.
During an interview with the News Room on Friday, Adams related that the water in this region has receded greatly, allowing people to finally get into their houses that were previously covered in water.
Over the past few weeks, houses in Kwakwani and Aroaima were covered by floodwaters which resulted from heavy rainfall and higher-than-usual tides. Since there has been a decrease in rainfall, residents who were forced to evacuate into shelters, are now able to access their homes. These homes may not yet be inhabitable, however.
“At Aroairma, what we are concerned about is the health of our people because in cases like this, you have dead rats and mosquitoes and so we are assessing that (with) our health team on the ground,” Adams said.
Additionally, following the severe flooding that was recorded in this region over the past few weeks, Adams related that the authorities have been able to identify the areas in which disaster response and mitigation efforts can be strengthened in future.
Increasing communication and internet connectivity efforts, access to clean drinking water and the swift provision of food and cleaning supplies are some of the areas that can be strengthened.
Five teams from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), in collaboration with the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), spent a number of days travelling across the five regions of Guyana that were severely impacted by the recent nationwide flooding.
Region 10 was one of those severely impacted regions and Adams said that the aforementioned areas in need of strengthening were communicated to the teams.
He also said that he informed the CDEMA officials that the region would benefit from a drone that allow much-needed information and photographs to be gathered and disseminated to the relevant authorities in a timely manner.
DRAINAGE
Meanwhile, Adams said that the regional authorities, through the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) have commenced some emergency drainage and irrigation works to help the water drain off the land, if there is heavy rainfall in the short term.
He said, also, that the regional authorities have engaged the Ministry of Agriculture on other emergency drainage works.
“There are a number of other projects that I would’ve submitted to the Ministry of agriculture for emergency capital drainage and infrastructure work and I’m hoping that flowing from that supplementary (budget) that they would have approved the work that I would have submitted would be given attention,” the regional chairman said.
Meanwhile, the regional chairman also related that sufficient food supplies have been consistently provided to the number of shelters that are set up across the region.
